Loader for box-cars.



J. M. CHRISTY.

LOADER FOB. BOX CARS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.19,1912.

Patented Mar. 9,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 14 mu lulum mm mm;

J. M. GHRISTY.

LOADER FOR BOX CARS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19, 1912.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

LITHO.. wAsnINGrDN, D. c.

J. M. GHRISTY.

LOADER FOR BOX CARS.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.19, 1912.

'1 ,1 31 ,038. Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

, Q 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3. v Q

JOSEPH M. CHRISTY, 0F DES MOINES, IOWA.

LOADER FOR BOX-:CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

Application filed February 19, 1912. Serial No. 678,949.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn M. GHRISTY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Loader for Box-Cars, of which the follow ing is a specification.

My invention is especially designed for use in connection with the large storage bins or hoppers now in common use and in which are ordinarily stored in the several compartments thereof, coal or other material of different sizes or grades, and in which each particular compartment is provided with an independent discharge chute. These large storage bins or hoppers are ordinarily provided with compartments having discharge chutes extending toward a railway track on one side of the bin and a number of corresponding chutes extended in the opposite direction toward a railway track on the opposite side of the bin or hopper, so that railway cars on opposite sides of the bin or hopper may be filled at the same time.

The object of my invention is to provide a loader for box cars especially adapted for use in connection with a large bin or hopper of the class described, for the purpose of taking material from any chute and loading it into a box car on a track at either side of the bin or hopper.

More specifically it is my object to provide a truck or carriage, capable of movement longitudinally of the bin or hopper, whereby the loader carried on the truck or carriage may be moved to position adjacent to any of the chutes of the bin or hopper, or to position adjacent to any of the several railway cars located on the tracks at the sides of the bin or hopper; and further to provide on said truck or carriage, a loader truck capable of movement transversely of the bin or hopper and on said truck or carriage, so arranged that either end of the loader truck may be projected beyond the main truck or carriage and into a box car located on the track at either side of the bin or hopper; and further in this connection, to provide on said loader truck, mechanism of simple durable and inexpensive construction, including two independent loader frames, one at each end of the loader truck and also including an electric motor or other prime mover, said parts being arranged and assembled upon the loader truck in such a manner that the parts will all be compact and well balanced when in all of their various positions of the movement and also so arranged that an operator may readily, quickly and easily project the loader frame on one end of the loader truck into a box car on one side of the bin or hopper, or project the other loader frame on the other end of the truck into a box car on the track on the opposite side of the bin or hopper, thus avoiding the necessity of turning the truck frame around when it is desired to load box cars on opposite sides of the bin or hopper, and also avoiding many disadvantages both in construction and operation that are inherent in machines of this class in which only one loader frame is employed.

A further object is to provide improved and simplified means for turning the loader frames around on the loader truck so that they may enter a box car and then be turned at right angles when inside of a box car and also to provide improved and simplified means for tilting the loader frames after they have been inserted in a box car, so that the material delivered thereby may be discharged either close to the loader or may be thrown outwardly and upwardly to be deposited at the ends of a box car.

A further object is to provide an improved clutch device for automatically coupling the main power shaft to the operating shaft of the loader frame when the loader frame is moved to position at right angles to the loader truck.

A further object is to provide improved means for supporting a loader truck on the main truck, or carriage, whereby tilting movement thereof is provided.

A further object is to provide improved means of simple and inexpensive construction for conducting material from the discharge chutes of a bin or hopper to the receiving apron of the loader frames, said chutes being so arranged that they will be automatically moved to proper position when required for use without any attention whatever of the operator.

My invention consists in certain details, in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts, whereby the 0bj ccts contemplated are attained, as hereafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1, shows an end elevation of a part of the main truck or carriage having my lOO improved loader frame and loader mounted thereon, one end of the loader frame being shown projected into the interior of a box car and in position for delivering material. Said view also shows a part of the structural elements of a large bin or hopper for containing material to be loaded into box cars. Fig. 2, shows a top or plan view of a part of the main truck or carriage having the loader frame and loaders mounted there on. Fig. 3, shows a detail, side view of the inner side of one of the loader frames, a part thereof being broken away to illustrate the conveyer. Fig. 4, shows a detail view illustrating the means for preventing tilting movement of the loader truck relative to the main truck or carriage. Fig. 5, shows an enlarged detail side view of the clutch device for connecting the motor shaft to the loader power shaft. Fig. 6, shows a sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7, shows a detail view in longitudinal section of a part of the loader truck and one of the loaders, for illustrating the mechanism for turning the loader in a horizontal plane and also for tilting it in a vertical plane. Fig. 8, shows a top or plan view of the same partly in section. In this view the rack for tilting the loader frame is illustrated by dotted lines and the pinion for the rack is shown in position to engage the rack, while in Fig. 7 the same pinion is shown in position out of engagement with the rack and in engagement with the gear wheel for rotating the loader frame, and Fig. 9 shows a detail view illustrating the connection between the worm gear and the shaft that rotates and tilts the loader frame.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, I have used the reference numeral 10, to indicate so much as is shown, of the structure of the large bin or hopper and 11 indicates one of the chutes of the large bin or hopper through which the material is discharged therefrom. My present invention is not concerned with the structure of these large bins or hoppers which are in general use, and it is therefore believed unnecessary to illustrate or describe the same more fully than to state that such large bins or hoppers are usually provided with numerous compartments, each of which has a discharge chute and that said discharge chutes project toward railway tracks on opposite sides of the bin or hopper.

WVithin or beneath the structure of the large bin or hopper, is a track 12 extending longitudinally of the bin or hopper. This track, of course, includes two rails, one of which only is illustrated in Fig. 1.

Mounted upon the track 12 is the main truck or carriage. This truck or carriage comprises a substantially rectangular frame indicated generally by the numeral 13. It is provided with supporting wheels 14 for the tracks 12 and is also provided at its upper portion with structural metal beams 15 extended transversely of the tracks 12 and provided with flanges 16 and 17 designed to receive the supporting wheels of the loader truck. The main frame or car riage 13 is also provided with a motor 18 or other suitable prime mover having a pinion 19 in mesh with a gear wheel 20 on a shaft 21. The shaft 21 is provided at its ends with small pinions 22 arranged in mesh with large gear wheels 23 on the axles of the supporting wheels 14, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Hence, when the motor 18 is operating the main frame, the carriage will be moved longitudinally upon its supporting track, so that the loader may be brought under any of the chutes in the large bin or hopper.

The loader frame comprises a body portion made of structural metal and indicated generally by the reference numeral 24. This loader frame is mounted on suitable axles 25 having the flange wheels 26 thereon. These flange wheels rest upon the flanges 16, before described, of the main truck or carriage, so that the loader frame may be readily moved in a direction at right angles to the track 12 on these supporting wheels 26. In certain positions of the loader frame one end is projected a considerable distance beyond the main truck or carriage and in order to prevent tilting movement thereof, I have provided on the frame 24, at each end thereof, a slotted bracket 27 designed to receive the flanged plate 17 as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

Mounted upon the central portion of the loader frame is an electric motor 28. The motor shaft 29 is projected in both directions from the motor and is mounted in suitable bearings upon the loader frame. On each end of the motor shaft 29 is a clutch member illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. This clutch member, as clearly shown by Fig. 6, is indicated by the numeral 30. It is of a length greater than its width and the corners are beveled or inclined at 31 for purposes hereinafter made clear. This clutch member 30 is designed to cooperate with a mating clutch member on the loader power shaft. This mating clutch member is illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 and comprises a body portion 32 having a slot therein designed to receive the clutch member 30. The corners of the body portion 32 at the ends of the slot, are inclined or rounded at 33 and said parts are so arranged that when the clutch member 32 is swung around in position in line with the shaft 29, the beveled portions 31 and 33 will engage in such a manner as to bring the clutch member 31 into the slot of the clutch member 32 so that when the shaft 29 is rotated, the clutch member 32 will be rotated in unison with it. This clutch device obviously is entirely automatic and the ends of the shafts are operatively coupled together automatically when the power shaft of the loader is moved to position in line with the motor shaft and they are also operatively disconnected when the loader is moved away from the motor shaft. If the slot in the clutch members 32 is in line with the longitudinal axis of the clutch members 30, then the parts will automatically couple when the shafts are brought in line but if the slot is not in line with the part 30 then the beveled shoulder 31 will engage the beveled portions 33 and first swing the clutch member 32 to position with its slot in line with the member 30, whereupon the member 30 may freely enter the slot.

Mounted on each end of the loader truck is a box car loader comprising a body portion indicated generally by the reference numeral 34 provided with an endless conveyer apron 35 which latter is driven by means of a sprocket wheel 36, a sprocket chain 37, and a sprocket wheel 38 on the shaft 39 of the loader. The frame of the loader is made capable of rotating in a horizontal direction by being mounted upon a circular base plate 40 which rests upon the stationary base plate 41, there being bearing balls 42 between these plates. The base plate 40 is provided with a downwardly projecting circular flange 43 having gear teeth 44 at its lower edge. The loader frame 34 is further made capable of tilting movements in a vertical plane by means of the large journals 45 fixed to the base plate 40. Fixed to and extending downwardly from the frame 34 is an arm 47 having a segmental rack 48 at its lower end. The practical construction of the loader proper, is not herein specifically illustrated or described, as it forms no part of my present invention. However, a similar loader frame and the other essential parts are clearly illustrated and described in my application for United States Letters Patent No. 519705, filed September 27:, 1909. My present invention is concerned with the improved means for rotating the loader frame and for tilting it.

Mounted in the loader truck is a sliding rotatable shaft 49 capable of being moved longitudinally by means of a hand lever 50 and capable of being rotated by means of a worm gear 51 which is slidably and nonrotatably mounted upon it as shown in Fig. 9, so that no matter in what position of its longitudinal movement, the shaft 49 may be,

it will rotate in unison with the worm gear 50. To operate the worm gear 50, I have provided a vertical shaft 51 having a hand wheel 52 at its top and a worm gear 53 at its lower end in mesh with the worm gear 50. Fixed to the shaft 49 within the stationary base 41, is a beveled pinion 53, which, when the shaft 49 is at one limit of its longitudinal movement, meshes with the teeth 44 on the circular rim 43 and when the shaft 49 is at another limit of its movement, meshes with the segmental rack 49, provided the said rack is in position substantially at right angles to the shaft 49, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 8. Assuming that it is desired to rotate the loader frame, then the shaft 49 must be moved by the lever 50 to position with the pinion 53 in mesh with the rack 44. Then the hand wheel 52 is rotated to thereby rotate the shaft 49 and thus move the rack 44 by means of the pinion 53. The loader frame cannot be tilted until it is in position substantially at right angles to the loader truck. \Vhen it is in this position, the lever 50 maybe manipulated to move the pinion 53 in mesh with the segmental rack 48 whereupon the loader frame may be tilted in either direction by proper rotation of the hand wheel 52. It is obvious that the chutes 11 of the bin or hopper cannot be permanently made long enough to deliver material to a loader located within a box car as shown in Fig. 1. It is customary heretofore to provide adjustable sliding or detachable extensions for said chutes designed to be placed by the hands of the operator into position after the loader has been inserted in a box car and turned around. This operation obviously requires considerable time and is somewhat difficult to perform on account of the size and weight of said extension chutes.

One advantage of my invention is that in connection with the other parts of my improved loader, it is possible to employ an extension chute permanently located and stationary upon the loader truck frame. I have provided on each end of the loader truck frame, a standard or upright 54, having secured to its upper end an extension chute 11. The lower end of the extension chute 55 is projected to position where it will deliver material upon the central portion of the loader conveyer when said conveyer is in position within a box car and at right angles to the extension chute. The lower end of this extension chute is also so positioned that it will not in any way interfere with the movement of the loader upon its pivot. Hence the operator need not, at any time in the operation of the machine, pay any attention whatever to the extension chutes and whenever the parts are in position for loading material into a box car, the extension chutes are always in posit-ion for conveying material from the chutes 11 to the loader conveyer.

In the practical operation, and assuming that a device embodying my invention is mounted beneath a large bin or hopper and that on each side of the bin or hopper is a number of box cars to be loaded, and assuming further that the loader truck is in a central position relative to the main truck or carriage, then obviously the main truck or carriage may be moved longitudinally beneath the bin and the chutes 55 will not in any way engage or interfere with the shaft 11 of the bin or hopper. Hence, the loader may be moved to position for loading any of the cars on either of the tracks. When the main truck or frame has been moved to the desired position, the operator causes the loader truck to be moved to position to project one or the other of the loaders into the desired box car and when this has been done, the chute section 55 will be in position to deliver material from the chute 11 to the loader. \Vhen either loader is being projected into a car, it stands in the position shown in Fig. 2 with the conveyer in line 'ith the loader truck, and then after it has been moved into the interior of the box car, the operator manipulates the adjacent hand wheel 5:2 and thus causes the loader to be turned in position at right angles to the loader truck and when this position is reached by the loader, the loader shaft is automatically coupled to the main power shaft. When starting to load a box car, I preferably tilt the loader so that material is deposited in the interior of the box car close to the loader and then after the car is partially filled, and the floor thereof protected by the deposited material, the loader is tilted so that its (lischarge end is highest to thereby throw the material farther toward the end of the car so that the material may be deposited in the car evenly throughout the length of the car in any manner desired.

My improvement has many practical advantages, among which are the following: By having a single prime mover on the loader truck and two independent loaders, the device may be readily, quickly and easily adapted to be run into a car on either side of the bin or hopper and none of the heavy parts of the loader truck containing the prime mover and other mechanism need be turned around or mounted in any other manner except for straight longitudinal movement across the main truck or frame, so that all of these parts may be made strong and durable and may be made so that they may be run into a box car on either side of the bin or hopper very readily and easily. By having two independent chute sections carried by the truck frame, the operator need pay no attention whatever to the connection between the chute sections of the bin or hopper and the particular loader which is in use, as the chute sections are always in proper position when the loading process is being carried on. By having a device of this kind comprising two loaders, both provided with automatic clutches for connecting them with the main power shaft, I avoid all waste of power which might otherwise be caused by having to operate the conveyers of both loaders, for the reason that neither of the loaders is in gear with the power shaft until it has been turned to position at right angles to the loader truck and this is only done after the device has been projected into a box car. This coupling of the proper loader shaft to the main power shaft is also accomplished automatically without any attention on the part of the operator. Another advantageous feature is that with two loaders on opposite ends of the loader frame, a structure is provided that is very well balanced, and when one loader is projected into a box car, the loader on the other end of the loader truck serves to counter-balance the weight of the loader that is within the box car to thereby prevent binding movements of the truck wheels within the track provided for them. The slotted projections on the ends of the truck frame engage with the plates 17 and thus further prevent any possibility of tilting movements of the truck frame relative to the main truck or carriage. My improved means of rotating the loaders and of tilting them is of extremely simple and inexpensive construction and enables the operator to perform these two operations readily, quickly and easily when desired.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a main frame, a loader truck mounted formovement transversely of the main frame, a main power shaft carried by the loader truck, means for rotating the power shaft, two independent loaders, one mounted on each end of the loader truck, and means for operatively connecting either loader with the power shaft.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a main frame, a loader truck mounted for movement transversely of the main frame, a main power shaft carried by the loader truck, means for rotating the aower shaft, two independent loaders, one mounted on each end of the loader truck, each loader being rotatably mounted and being provided with a driving shaft, a coupling device on each end of the power shaft and a coacting coupling device on each of the loader driving shafts.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a main frame, a loader truck mounted for movement transversely of the main frame, a main power shaft carried by the loader truck, means for rotating the power 'shaft, two independent loaders, one mounted on each end of the loader truck, each loader being rotatably mounted and being provided with a driving shaft, a coupling device on each end of the power shaft and a coacting coupling device on each of the loader driving shafts, said clutch members being so constructed as to automatically engage each other when the loader frame is moved to position substantially at right angles to the loader truck and to automatically disengage when the loader frame is moved away from said position, whereby the power shaft will operate only the mechanism of the loader that is in position for operative movement.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a main truck or carriage, a loader truck mounted for movement transversely of the main truck or carriage, a loader on each end of the loader truck, a power shaft on the loader truck for operating either loader and two chutes carried by the loader truck, each being fixed in position with its discharge end in position to deliver material to the adjacent loader and with its upper end in position to receive material from a chute.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a main truck or carriage, a loader truck mounted for movement trans-- versely of the main truck or carriage, a loader on each end of the loader truck, a power shaft on the loader truck for operating either loader and two chutes carried by the loader truck, each being fixed in position with its discharge end in position to deliver material to the adjacent loader and with its upper end in position to receive material from a chute, said chutes so shaped and positioned that the loader frames may ro tate freely beneath them.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a frame for a bin or hopper, a chute section on said frame for delivering material from the bin or hopper, a main truck or carriage mounted within the frame of the bin or hopper frame, a loader truck mounted for movement transversely of the main frame or carriage, a power shaft on the loader truck, means for operating it, two independent loaders at opposite ends of the loader truck and two chute sections carried by the loader truck for the purposes stated.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a loader truck, two independent loaders rotatably mounted on the ends of the loader truck, a power shaft carried by the loader truck, means for coupling the power shaft to either loader and means carried by the loader truck for rotating either one of the loaders.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of a loader truck, two inde pendent loaders rotatably mounted on the ends of the loader truck, a power shaft carried by the loader truck, means for coupling the power shaft to either loader and means carried by the loader truck for rotating either one of the loaders, and also for tilting either one of the leaders when moved to position substantially at right angles to the loader truck.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination of a loader truck, a loader rotatably mounted on the truck and provided with a downwardly projecting, circular, toothed flange, said loader being also capable of tilting movement upon the truck, an arm connected with the loader and extended downwardly and provided with a segmental. rack at its lower end, a shaft slidably mounted in the loader truck, a pinion fixed thereon, capable in one position of en gaging the teeth of the circular flange and also capable in another position of engaging the segmental rack when the latter is substantially at right angles to the loader truck, and means when in any position of its movement.

10. In a device of the class described, the combination of a loader truck, a loader rotatably mounted on the truck and provided with a downwardly projecting circular toothed flange, said loader being also capable of tilting movement upon the truck, an arm connected with the loader and eX- tended downwardly and provided with a segmental rack at its lower end, a shaft slidably mounted in the loader truck, a pinion fixed thereon, capable in one position of engaging the teeth of the circular flange and also capable in another position of engaging the segmental rack when the latter is substantially at right angles to the loader truck, and means for rotating the shaft when in any of its positions, independent of the movement of the other parts of the device.

11. In a device of the class described, the combination of a loader truck, a loader rotatably mounted on the truck, a shaft slidably mounted on the loader truck, a pinion fixed thereon, means for rotating said shaft in any position of its sliding movement, said means comprising a worm gear wheel slidably but non-rotatably mounted on the shaft, a worm gear in mesh with the worm gear wheel, a shaft for the worm gear, and a hand wheel for rotating the latter shaft.

Des Moines, Iowa, February 12, 1912.

JOSEPH M. CHRISTY.

Witnesses:

A. G. HAGUE, MARY VALLACE.

copiel of thil patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. O.

for rotating the shaft 

